CAMP VICENTE LUKBAN, Catbalogan City-The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) – Philippine National Police (PNP) – Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) National Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council (JPSCC) formally declared two New People’s Army (NPA) units in Eastern Visayas as dismantled last March 3, 2024.
The two NPA units were identified as Platoon 2 of Island Committee 47 Levox operating in the provinces of Leyte, Biliran and Southern Leyte, and the Elcon Platoon of Sub-Regional Committee Browser operating in the provinces of Samar and Eastern Samar.
Early January this year, the JTF Storm formally declared the four remaining guerilla fronts (GF) in Eastern Visayas as dismantled.
These are the Front Committee 2, Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) Emporium; Front Committee 1, SRC Emporium; Front Committee 15, SRC Arctic and Front Committee 3, SRC Arctic.
The Elcon Platoon of SRC Browser were remnants of the dismantled Central Front Samar 1 and Front Committee 3 of SRC Arctic while the P2 IC47 Levox was created in their attempt to re-establish a Guerilla Front in the provinces of Leyte, Biliran, and Southern Leyte.
The dismantling of the four GFs and the two NPA units was attributed to the successful and effective implementation of programs and projects under the National Task Force – Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) or the Whole-of-Nation Approach in ending the insurgency problems in the conflict-affected and vulnerable areas.
The Chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council and Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, said that the remarkable success of the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, and the Joint Task Force Storm reflects the collective commitment of all units under the Joint Task Force Storm and the Regional TF-ELCAC in Eastern Visayas.
“ELCAC has proven that through collaborative efforts we can surely eradicate the remaining local communists. The problem in insurgency is everyone’s responsibility, so let us continue to be united in this quest of ending local communist armed conflict to attain long and lasting peace, and socio-economic progress among our community,” Romualdez said.
Moreover, the 8th Infantry Division Commander, Major General Camilo Z. Ligayo, said that the dismantling of these NPA units is the fruit of the aggressive campaign of the security sectors against insurgency.
“Let us actively support the programs of the local government to peacefully resolve all armed conflicts in Eastern Visayas. Let us encourage everybody to follow the path of peace and condemn those who advocate violence and the use of arms. Let us condemn the armed struggle and NPA atrocities and give peace a chance,” Maj.Gen.Ligayo concluded. (PR)
